Q&A: How to track down lost savings bonds

Dear Liz: My mother passed away two years ago. She left a small mountain of paperwork which my brother, sister and I have finally started to sort through. Among the surprises that we have found is a receipt from a bank for the purchase of $4,500 of U.S. government savings bonds. The date of purchase is one month after the birth of her grandson in March 1992. We suspect that the bond was intended as a gift for the grandson. Is there a way to track down these bonds? Would a receipt from a bank be sufficient to satisfy the Treasury that the bond purchases were valid?

Answer: Savings bonds purchased in 1992 would have already matured and are no longer paying interest. If your mom didn’t cash in these bonds, you may be able to find them through the U.S. Treasury Department’s Treasury Hunt tool. You can find it at https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/treasury-hunt/.